Kathua Rape Accused's Signature Had Been Forged On The Exam Sheet He Was Using As An Alibi

Were more records manipulated?

Danish Ismail / ReutersA student holds a placard as she participates in a signature campaign to protest against the rape of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua, near Jammu, in Srinagar April 18, 2018. REUTERS/Danish Ismail

A report prepared by the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CFSL) revealed that the signature of Kathua rape accused Vishal Jangotra found on an exam attendance sheet had been forged. The signature of Jangotra on the attendance sheet of an exam conducted in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh during the time of the rape and murder was being used by the defence to question the charges framed against eight men by the Jammu & Kashmir Police.

The Press Trust of Indiareported that Crime Branch has summoned three friends of Jangotra for further questioning. The forensic report, which has been submitted to the crime branch, said that the signature on the sheet doesn't match with Jangotra's, putting his friends under the scanner.

Two days after the chargesheet in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua was filed by the police in Jammu, the claims of the crime branch were challenged on the basis of 'new evidence'. On 16 April, Zee News revealed that one of the eight accused in the rape and murder was in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh writing an exam when the crime took place. A tweet put out by the channel said the following:

How come a co accused in #Kathua gang rape case, is present and giving an exam in muzaffarnagar on the same day the crime was committed?

The channel's website has now published the report that the signature was forged.

In another 'expose' aired by the channel, it was revealed that Jangotra had visited an ATM on 15 January in Muzaffarnagar. According to the PTI report, the crime branch officials have challenged the 'evidence' saying Jangotra, in connivance with his father and co-accused Sanji Ram, had manipulated records to create an alibi. They have said that Jangotra deliberately visited an ATM to create a alibi and the university he studied in allowed him to write the exam after the scheduled date was over. They have alleged that the college in Meerut has received bribes from Jangotra's father to help them fabricate evidence.

The eight-year-old from the nomadic Bakarwal tribe in Kathua went missing on 10 January this year. Her body was found on 17 January and a post-mortem revealed that she was murdered on 14 January. Seven of the eight accused in the case have refused to plead guilty in the case and have demanded a CBI inquiry.